Young Schubert by Josef Abel Heine by Moritz Oppenheim Schumann by Johann Anton Völlner

Why Heine?
 Heinrich Heine (1797-1856)

• Born in Dusseldorf to a Jewish parents

• Was educated according to the latest French
philosophy
• An admirer of Napoleon whose image resonates in the
poem ‘Die Grendaiere’ (see Schumann’s setting
op.49)
• Was sent to study law but instead became a student of
the poet, critic and translator August Schlegel
• Moved to Berlin where he studied philosophy with
Friedrich Hegel and visited Rahel Vernhagen’s salon
• Published his first volume of poetry Gedichte
(‘Poetry’), two dramas and Lyrischen Intermezzo
(‘Lyrical Intermission’)
• Buch der Lieder was published- Heine’s most famous
collection of poetry
• Inspired more songs than any other poet, even
Goethe
• 2,500 musicians set about 8,000 settings of Heine’s
poems Portrait by Moritz Daniel
F. Schubert (1797-1828)
Schwanengesang D.957 (1829)
• A setting of six poems by Ludwig Rellstab, six
by Heinrich Heine and one by Gabriel Seidl
• The Heine poems were taken from ‘The Home
Coming’ in ‘The Book of Songs’ and their titles
given by Schubert are as followed:
"Der Atlas"
"Ihr Bild" ("Her image")
"Das Fischermädchen" ("The fisher-maide
"Die Stadt" ("The city")
"Am Meer" ("By the sea")
"Der Doppelgänger" ("The double")
• The manuscript dates back to August 1828, just
three months before Schubert’s death
• The title Schwanengesang (‘Swan Song’) was
given by the publisher as homage to the
deceased master
For more on other Schubert’s lieder see ‘week 9’ in L6 Music
and Literature module

‘The singing swan’ by

Reinier van Persijn
Die Stadt (‘The Town’) D.957, XI
• Tripartite form (ABA) with a prelude, interludes and a postlude
• Concise according to Heine’s text, no repeated lines
• Impressionistic sense due to the unusual treatment of the diminished-seventh chord
• Slightly altered voice part when repeating the A section, in order to emphasize the
text difference
• No use of melismas, note for word
• Dramatic elements through control of dynamics and harmonic treatment

Suggested further readings

Chapter 4 and 5 in Martin Chusid’s A Companion to Schubert’s Schwanengesang History, Poets,
Analysis, Performance.
Part 3, chapter 4 by Marie Agnes-Dittrich in The Cambridge Companion to the Lied.
 Die Stadt
Am fernen Horizonte
Erscheint, wie ein Nebelbild,
Die Stadt mit ihren Türmen
In Abenddämmrung gehüllt.
Ein feuchter Windzug kräuselt
Die graue Wasserbahn;
Mit traurigem Takte rudert
Der Schiffer in meinem Kahn.
Die Sonne hebt sich noch einmal
Leuchtend vom Boden empor,
Und zeigt mir jene Stelle,
Wo ich das Liebste verlor.
Heinrich Heine

The town
On the distant horizon
appears, like a misty vision,
the town with its turrets,
shrouded in dusk.
A damp wind ruffles
the grey stretch of water.
With mournful strokes
the boatman rows my boat.
Radiant, the sun rises once more
from the earth,
and shows me that place
where I lost my beloved. English Translation © Richard
Wigmore
R.Schumann (1810-56)
Dichterliebe op. 48 (1844)
•Composed in 1840
•Dichterliebe (“Poet’s Love”)
comprises sixteen Heine’s poems
from ‘Lyrical Intermission’
•Personal and professional events
triggered Schumann to turn to
Heine
•Simplicity resembling the form
of a Volkston (‘Folk Song’)
•Three approaches to the piano
part texture
1. Accompanimental
2. Interdependent
3. Dominating Portrait by Josef Kriehuber
Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne
Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne,
Die liebt’ ich einst alle in Liebeswonne.
Ich lieb’ sie nicht mehr, ich liebe alleine
Die Kleine, die Feine, die Reine, die Eine;
Sie selber, aller Liebe Wonne,
Ist Rose und Lilie und Taube und Sonne.
Heinrich Heine
Rose, Lily, Dove, Sun
Rose, lily, dove, sun,
I loved them all once in the bliss of love.
I love them no more, I only love
She who is small, fine, pure, rare;
She, most blissful of all loves,
Is rose and lily and dove and sun.
English Translation Richard Stokes
Im wunderschönen Monat Mai
Im wunderschönen Monat Mai,
Als alle Knospen sprangen,
Da ist in meinem Herzen
Die Liebe aufgegangen.
Im wunderschönen Monat Mai,
Als alle Vögel sangen,
Da hab’ ich ihr gestanden
Mein Sehnen und Verlangen
Heinrich Heine
In the wondrous month of May
In the wondrous month of May,
When all the buds burst into bloom,
Then it was that in my heart
Love began to burgeon.
In the wondrous month of May,
When all the birds were singing,
Then it was I confessed to her
My longing and desire.
English Translation Richard Stokes

Ich hab' im Traum geweinet
Ich hab’ im Traum geweinet,
Mir träumte, du lägest im
Grab.
Ich wachte auf, und die Träne
Floss noch von der Wange
herab.
Ich hab’ im Traum geweinet,
Mir träumt’, du verliessest
mich.
Ich wachte auf, und ich weinte
Noch lange bitterlich.
Ich hab’ im Traum geweinet,
Mir träumte, du wär’st mir
noch gut.
Ich wachte auf, und noch
immer
Strömt meine Tränenflut
Heinrich Heine
I wept in my dream
I wept in my dream;
I dreamt you lay in your
grave.
I woke, and tears
Still flowed down my
cheeks.
I wept in my dream;
I dreamt that you were
leaving me.
I woke, and wept on
Long and bitterly.
I wept in my dream;
I dreamt you loved me still.
I woke, and still
My tears stream.
English Translation Richard Stokes
Die alten, bösen Lieder
Die alten, bösen Lieder,
Die Träume bös’ und arg,
Die lasst uns jetzt begraben,
Holt einen grossen Sarg.
Hinein leg’ ich gar manches,
Doch sag’ ich noch nicht was;
Der Sarg muss sein noch
grösser,
Wie’s Heidelberger Fass.
Und holt eine Totenbahre
Und Bretter fest und dick;
Auch muss sie sein noch länger,
Als wie zu Mainz die Brück’.
Und holt mir auch zwölf Riesen,
Die müssen noch stärker sein
Als wie der starke Christoph
Im Dom zu Köln am Rhein.
Die sollen den Sarg forttragen,
Und senken ins Meer hinab;
Denn solchem grossen Sarge
Gebührt ein grosses Grab.
Wisst ihr, warum der Sarg wohl
So gross und schwer mag sein?
Ich senkt’ auch meine Liebe
Und meinen Schmerz hinein.
Heinrich Heine
The bad old songs
The bad old songs,
The bad and bitter dreams,
Let us now bury them.
Fetch me a large coffin.
I have much to put in it,
Though what, I won’t yet say;
The coffin must be even
larger
Than the vat at Heidelberg.
And fetch a bier
Made of firm thick timber:
And it must be even longer
Than the bridge at Mainz.
And fetch for me twelve
giants;
They must be even stronger
Than Saint Christopher the
Strong
In Cologne Cathedral on the
Rhine.
They shall bear the coffin
away,
And sink it deep into the sea;
For such a large coffin
Deserves a large grave.
Do you know why the coffin
Must be so large and heavy?
I’d like to bury there my love
R.Schumann (1810-56)
Dichterliebe op. 48 (1844)
•The cycle as a journey
•Changes in imagery and mood
throughout the cycle
•Clara’s father objections to her
marriage with Robert in 1839 lead
Schumann to extensive writing

Portrait by Josef Kriehuber

 Heinrich Heine (1797-1856)

• 1831- Flee to Paris

• 1836- Published ‘The Romantic School’
• 1830-40- Wrote critics on the Parisian musical
scene for the Augsburg’s paper Allgemeine
Zeitung among which were reviews of Rossini,
Meyerbeer, Berlioz, Liszt, Paganini and Chopin
• 1841- Married an illiterate woman
• 1848- Went paralyzed to a bed
• 1848-56- Wrote and published ‘Romanzero’ and
other verses
• 1856- Small funeral attendant- Dumas, Gautier and
Mignet were the only notable figures
• Inspired composer such as F. and F. Mendelssohn,
F. Schubert, R. and C. Schumann, J. Brahms, F.
Liszt, R. Strauss, R. Wagner, P. I. Tchaikovsky and
in the 20th century G. Mahler, E. Grieg, A. Berg
and others Wellcome collection
 Bibliography

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• Bingham, O. Ruth. “The Early Nineteenth Century Song Cycle”. In The Cambridge Companion to the Lied. Rev. ed., edited by James
Parson, 101-120. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004
• Bowring, Alfred Edgar, The Poems of Heine- Complete- Translated Into the Original Meteres With a Sketch of His Life. London: George
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2000.
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https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000012686 .
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February 23, 2020,
https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040704 .
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Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004
• Don Michael Randel. "Congruence between Poetry and Music in Schumann's Dichterliebe." 19th-Century Music 38, no. 1 (2014): 30-52.
Accessed February 23, 2020. doi:10.1525/ncm.2014.38.1.030.
• Komar, Arthur, ed. Robert Schumann- Dichterliebe- An Authoritative Score- Historical Background- Essays in Analysis- Views and
Comments. London: Chappell & Co, 1971.
• Oxford Lieder. “Dichterliebe (1840) op.49”. Oxford Lieder. Accessed February 23, 2020, https://www.oxfordlieder.co.uk/song/144.
• Oxford Lieder. “Schwanengesang (1828) D957”. Oxford Lieder. Accessed February 23, 2020, https://www.oxfordlieder.co.uk/song/928.
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12. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
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https://imslp.org/wiki/Schwanengesang,_D.957_(Schubert,_Franz).